Steering wheel



Y 1,448,132. J. B.` LA PIERRE. f STEERING WHEEL.

HLED sEPL. 1922.

A .JLUQUQW/ Patented Mar. 13, 1923.

Miam UNITED STATES To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JULIAN B. LA PIERRE, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Steering Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to steering wheels for motor-driven vehicles and the like, and particularly to the type of steering wheels in which a non-metallic rim is rigidly secured to the arms of a metallic spider as Vshown in Patent No. 1,403,968, issued to me on January 17, 1922.

In the construction yof automobile steering wheels, it is desirable to produce an article which is ornamental in appearance, and it is also necessary that it be of sufficient strength to withstand the strain and abuse to which it is likely to be subjected. It is also desirable that the connections between the spider arms and rim be such that the rim will be free from projections and patching and will present no obstruction to the free sliding movement of the hands around the wheel rim.

The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved form and arrangement of parts for securing the ends of the spider arms to the rim without cutting away any part of the rim at the points where the spider arms are attached; and to provide means for assembling the rim and spider in wheels of the type of Patent No. 1, 403,968, without necessitating the flexing of the spider arms.

Anv illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a plan of a steering wheel constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail in section.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in elevation, showing one of the spiderl arms located in a depression adjacent one of the bearing surfaces of the rim.

In assembling a steering wheel constructed in accordance with my said Patent No. 1,408,968, the rim is placed in a suitable support and the spider is placed in a press whereby its arms are flexed enough to allo-w itto be inserted into place within the rim. The press is then operated to force the Application ied September 8, 1922. Serial No. 586,833.

PATENTA OFFICE.. i

JULIAN B. LA PIERRE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STEERING WHEEL.

l tral plane of the rim so as to partly embrace the rim and securely hold it against up and down movement independently ofthe fastening screws, and the fact that the rim is so shaped' on its inner periphery as to allow the spider to be inserted at one position and then rotated in the plane of the rim until 1t comes to a securing bearing at the desired bearing points.

In the form shown, the steering lwheel 4comprises an annular non-metallic rim 1,

which is rigidly secured to a metallic supporting spider 2, vhaving a hub 3, anda plurality of radially disposed arms 4.

The outer ends of the arms 4 are formed to provide pads 5, integral with the spider and having bearing surfaces or seats 6, which bear against and firmly grip the annular rim at regular intervals along its inner periphery. In order to conform to the shape of the rim at the point of connection,

so as to insure tight fitting joints, the bear! ing surfaces 6 are curved longitudinally in the plane of the wheel and also transversely thereto. The transverse curvature has a radius which is slightly less than the radius of a cross section of the annular rim, shown exaggerated in Figure 3 so as to permit the knife-like edges of the pads to bite into the' rim so thatl the joint presents a smooth and ornamental appearance.

A counter-sunk aperture 7 extends through each of the pads on the lower side of the spider arm'to receive a screw 8 whereby the rim is rigidly secured to the spider. The screws 8 are preferably formed with two heads 9 and 10 connected by a narrow neck 11. The lower head is shaped so as to completely fill the counter-sink, and the outer head 10 has the usual slot to accommodate a screw driver. The screws are forced into the rim until the inner head 9 becomes seated in thec,0iinter suii k, aperture. .Byineans of a Cutting vtool Vorby the twistingof the neck through a continued eii'ort to turn the screvv after it becomes seated the outer head l,

into inter'tting engagement` is sheared off and the inner head maybe then tiled or ground down and polished .so as to be lush With the face ot the pad.

In the forni shown-.the riinl is oval in radial cross section and, formed at intervals on its inner.. periphery, -is-a plurality of bearing surfaces lQarrang-edfor interittingengageinent Witlrthe concave seats 6 of the pads 5. 1The` portions of the riinbetween the f bearing y surfaces :l2 are corrugated, as .shown in Figure l, Vtolprovide thc usual linger grips ,13. @The furrows of the cor- ,rugations ,are arrangedfsoas to provide a .recess oixdepression114.011 eachside of each ,of .-the ybearing :surfaces l2. In .order to present a uniform and ornamental appearance, the depressions 14 archer-ein `shoivn located., on'both. .sides of, the bearing surfaces v 112, but.y one or' such depressions adjacent each -`.bearing `surface is .sufficient to lcarry-out the purpose yof. this invention.

InassemblingtheWheel, the rim is placed in .a `suitable support, Anot shown, having .suitable .lining,to prevent 1marring ofthe :finish The-spider is then inserted axially nwithin the. rim.v byl placing the padsV 5 in one psetof the depressions r1.4. ,Tlien-the-spider is partially rotated relative tothe riin so ,as fto-bringathe 7.bearing surf-aces ll2 yand pads 5 into snugyintertitting f engagement. The yscrews 38 are theninserted togpermanently v secure the pads, to i the rim.

- Althonghbutwone,speciiic embodiment ot :this invention hasibeen hereinshown and described it YWill vbe understoodthat nurneroiis .details of theAconstructionshoivn may be .altered orfomitted Without `departing ,ti-omi thespirit. ofv this. invention as defined by the -iollowing claims. 1

(lola/iin:

.11. Asteering Wheel comprising a spider including a 4...plurality of supporting .arms having. bearingsurfaces at their ends, and a rim having .bearing surfaces Ar arranged.on .its inner periphery `for interiittingfengagementwvith said ,a-ims, said :friin` bearing sur- ,tacesi-beingoffset radial-ly vinward lfrom yad- .jacent portions ,of V-saijd :rim yavvliereby lsaid .spider l.and rinrinay be :assembled byf'placingsaid arms in thelplane 4otsaidriin in said adjacent portions and rotating said run and spider relatively so as to bring said arms `andthebearing surfaces of said rim 2. Asteerng Wheel comprising a spiderl including a plurality of supporting arms vhaving padsat.,theirends, and a rim having` bearing surfaces arranged on its inner periphery for interlitting A engagement With said pads, said rinihaving a recessiformed on its inner peripheryadjacent each of said bearing surfaces whereby said spiderand .rim may be assembledby placing said pads ,inthe plane-,of saidrim in saidrecessesand rotatingsaid riinland spiderrelatively so .,asto bring saidpads and bearing surfaces c into interitting engagement.

A .steering vifheel comprising va spider including a plurality of supporting Harms .having Dads-1 at their ends.and t.a `riin having n ,l c I bearing surfaces arranged on its ,inner vperiphery for interfittingengagement with said pads, 1the portions of said `inner periphery between, said bearing surfaces being corrugated to forni 4vlinger ,grips7k the coriugations otsaid portions-being arranged to :provide a,depression.adjacent eachof `said bearing surfaces .whereby g said spider and rim may be .assembled py placing .said padsin theplaneotsaid,rim i-n saiddepressions-to permit saidiimand: spi'derto be relatively .rotated soasztof bring said pads and `bearing surfaces into intertitting vengagement.

41. A steering Wheel comprising spider havinga pluralityv ot supportingvarms pads formed on-'the ends .of .saidarnis Xand'v .having concaveseatsand a, rimhaving convex bearing surfaces f arranged at. intervals. ony its. inner yperiphery for iiiterfitting,engagement with the --seats of `said pads, ysaid :bearing surfaces being offset radially:inward Afrom adjacent portions of said im-1er i periphery whereby said spider and rim `be rassembled by vplacingsaid ,ypadsinthe .plane ot said rim, iirsaid..adjacent` portionsto .pen init said riin and spider to beifelativelyro- Vtated soas .to-bring said bearingxsurfaces and seats into interitting engagement.

. Signed at Chicago.l this 24th-day of February, 1922. A

.JULIAN B. .LA .BIERRE. 

